Gaskets are often used as a seal between mating mechanical components. One common application involves gasket placement between the engine block and cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. Cylinder head gaskets typically extend around cylinder bores to provide a combustion seal, maintaining the high temperature gases of combustion within the cylinder bores. Simultaneously, the gaskets also seal fluid flow openings such as coolant and oil openings to prevent undesirable mixing. A cylinder head gasket bears the load from a bolted connection of the mechanical components and relies upon that load to provide both the combustion and fluid flow seals.
In a metal laminate gasket for an internal combustion engine, the gasket is formed from a plurality of metal plates laminated together. The metal layers provide a seal for the engine coolant and lubricant. The metal layers also provide structural support within the joint between the cylinder head and the block, and provide radial strength to resist blow-out of the gasket due to pressure from the combustion chamber.
To provide adequate gasket thickness, it is known to use at least one thin metal intermediate plate that extends across the entire gasket. It is also known to have a thin compensating plate that provides a differential gasket thickness between the combustion and fluid flow seals. Often the compensating plate is folded upon itself or the intermediate plate to provide the differential gasket thickness.
It is also known to have a base plate adjacent a compensating plate, wherein an end of the base plate is radially spaced outwardly from an end of the compensating plate. A distinct secondary material is laminated onto the compensating plate to help provide a combustion seal.